Musings: "Toothsome"
Merriam-Webster.com defines “Toothsome” here:
Main Entry: tooth·some
Pronunciation: \ˈtüth-səm\
Function: adjective
Date: 1551
1
— tooth·some·ly adverb
— tooth·some·ness noun
I’ve been hearing this word, toothsome, a lot lately on food shows. Typically, it’s in reference to a texture…as in, “The quinoa you cooked is too crunchy, and while it should be toothsome, this is undercooked.”
Huh. I decided to look up the definition, because that made it sound specifically like a substitute for “al dente” or “crispy” or even “crunchy.” But really, that’s not quite right.
Toothsome = of palatable flavor and pleasing texture.
So, to me that means either:
1. It’s cooked properly
OR
2. The texture feels good when you eat it
What do you think?
Last Updated on October 20, 2010 by Liza Hawkins
Liza Hawkins
Hi, I'm Liza, a self-proclaimed word-nerd who loves getting sucked into whimsical stories and epic movies. I have laid-back, practical attitude towards life, and as a foodie at heart, I relish the chance to both cook and eat. (No picky-eater here!) Always on the hunt for good eats, easy recipes, binge-worthy shows, relaxing road trip destinations, the perfect mojito and time to finish my novel!
4 Comments
erica
I think “toothsome” is a dumb word. Why don’t they just say, “perfectly cooked,” and stop trying to be all smart and what not?
Ashley J.
I’ve always been one to eat what tastes good to me, and doesn’t that also mean that it’s cook correctly?
Andy
I think in the context of your example, the person was just using the general delicious or tasty definition of the word.
I’ve described people as toothsome before, but never actually used it for food.
Liza
That example happened to be the last one I heard…I think it was from an episode of “Chopped.” But, yes, I’ve also heard toothsome used more to describe people.
Ashley – generally, I would say that something that tastes good is by default cooked correctly.
Erica – LOL